Day 40: Sun Room [Fourth Shift]

[clockmongler]

Well, that was... special. No wonder he was losing respect for this place--the fearful Martin Landel was coming undone, most probably with boredom. So scary. Even Nursey seemed a little exasperated, though that most likely had more to do with X's constant insistence to stay in the Sun Room rather than go inside the Greenhouse

Comments

[trapdetected]

He hit the nail right on the head. That's exactly how it felt like-- little things here and there, some of it the obvious, most of it common knowledge that was doing nothing but floating around amongst the patient population without leading to anything. It helped none; the "truths" here were illogical ones, by normal standards, and at best they only lead to confusion. And then there was that handful that lead to hurt, or worse.

But it was such a cynical way of looking at things. Not to say Naoto was an optimist-- perhaps a realist, if anything-- but there was plenty of determination to drive her in that direction, and even more pride to keep her from wanting to give up. A lot of cases took a while-- maybe this one would, too. However, it put things in perspective when you were suddenly personally involved with it... But with the outside world oblivious to the on-goings within the institute, the only way to solve this once and for all was to be involved, to be taken captive.

All Naoto could do was silently agree, though.

"Surely, something will appear eventually," Naoto replied, despite her thoughts. "None of this is... producing anything, I admit; there's far too little to go by during the day. However, I am still willing to gather everything possible as to better inform myself of the facility, regardless of how small it may seem. Perhaps, with some luck, knowing all will aid much better when it is possible to investigate further during the night."

When he introduced himself, Naoto looked up towards him in something resembling pleasant surprise. Klavier Gavin, huh? A coincidence if any, yet hardly one she could complain about. "Ah, Gavin-san," began her satisfied reply. "This makes this easier for us. I was hoping to seek you out sooner or later." Briefly, she gestured in the general direction of the bulletin. "You recall the proposed information network to be set up, correct? I had been directed to you earlier in the day; my name is Naoto Shirogane."

[rocksthecourt]

Klavier admitted it was beginning to look futile to gather information, but that didn't mean he planned to give up any time soon. Aside from the fact he would be driven crazy if he did otherwise, he felt the answer to what was going on and how they could get out of this was in fact attainable. They had but to try. And it was good to see she'd adopted a similar attitude.

It was his turn to look surprised when she suddenly looked up at him with that faint expression of recognition. He hadn't been here long enough for his name to be circulating amongst strangers, positively or negatively. But when she mentioned the bulletin's information network as her reference, his face seemed to light up eagerly.

"Ah! You are... the partner Herr Lamperouge was talking about, ja?" There was certainly no lack of enthusiasm in his voice. Oh, what astounding luck! If this was really the one Lelouch had paired him with, they would doubtlessly get much accomplished, if her attitude was any indicator. "Most excellent. The pleasure is entirely mine."

Now then, Lelouch had likely already informed her of their directive if he'd gone as far as to refer him. But he had to wonder, did she actually have experience doing this type of thing or was it purely work ethic? A promising attitude and strong composure can only go so far. "Am I to assume you've done this type of work before?"

This way, if Naoto hadn't been told of their focus, she could tell him so straight away. If she had been, then she could tell him if she was experienced or not. Simple.

[trapdetected]

"Correct," Naoto answered with a nod. "Likewise, I would have to say." She paid attention to what was written up there-- careful attention, and if what Klavier had jotted down about his own occupation was entirely true-- and so far, she had no reason to think otherwise-- than this could prove to be promising.

"Yes, I have," she continued. "As I had written up on the board, I'm a detective back home who has frequently enough worked with the police department. I assure you of my experience; allow me to say I am more than qualified for any investigative opportunities."

[rocksthecourt]

A detective? Klavier looked thoroughly amused. He hadn't even seen what she was capable of, and she was already the most professional detective he had ever met. The detectives he had worked with were either bumbling loudmouths or those with severe attitude problems, mostly in the latter category. Oh, they were good enough at what they did, but it make the work place a tad more frustrating than necessary. Haha, what he wouldn't give to have someone like Naoto working for the LAPD.

Well, he certainly wasn't going to second guess her prowess. If a thirteen year old could be among the top prosecutors in Germany, it wasn't hard to believe a girl her age could be an excellent detective. He would see for himself soon enough.

"Splendid. I'd be greatly interested in hearing anything you've managed to gather or determine if anything yet. Luckily, I was starting to sort through the notes I had gathered so far during lunch." He opened his notebook and began flipping through to find the right pages. "Ah, you might remember a survey on the message board inquiring about individual accounts before people woke up here." There was the page. Or the first one anyhow. "As curious as it is to consider what the patients have in common, it was more to determine what targets Herr Doktor seems to be aiming for most. He might fit under a certain mindset classification we could use to work off of."

Admittedly, this type of work fell within police jurisdiction more than prosecutor's work, but he'd read over the reports enough to get basic ideas and understand the most common patterns. Alone, he might not be able to process the information as well as he would with one experienced with the field. He was rather lucky.

[trapdetected]

For a moment, that amused look worried Naoto; what exactly was he indicating with such a face? The first thought that crossed her mind was that he hadn't taken her statement seriously. Unfortunately, it wouldn't have been surprising, not when she already had a hard enough time proving herself to be more than worthy to the police force back home, and here... In Inaba, she may have been the renowned "detective prince", but this was a completely different place with no credibility to her name. It would hardly come as a surprise of Klavier decided to laugh at her next.

And yet, he didn't. Quite the opposite, actually, by opening his own notebook right open and speaking of its contents. It was a relief, for certain, that Klavier was willing to put her deductive ability to use.

"If you have been here a while, I regret to say you may be further ahead of me as far as gathering information goes," Naoto admitted, beginning her explanation. "I am, what I suppose you could call, one of the 'new arrivals'-- for now, until more are to come. And it's inevitable to say that it will happen within the next few days, if word is to be taken to heart." She made a single tap on top of her own notebook with a finger. "Needless to say, I've been keeping a close eye on everything from the bulletin; anything that may sound like it's imperative to finding out more about the institute, I copy down."

Naoto leaned over a little closer, getting a better look at the information Klavier had taken from the board. "I do; in fact, I had a conversation earlier, and we had come up with a similar idea. Are you familiar with a man named Miles Edgeworth? This may be of interest to him, as well."

[rocksthecourt]

Now that was curious. That made Naoto the third newcomer he had met. And of those newcomers, all but one were associated with law enforcement in some way. That couldn't have been a coincidence. Klavier wondered if the data would support such a revelation. There was one more thing to keep in mind, and something she would certainly be interested to know once he had finished. He'd be sure to tell her.

"Admittedly," he began, "I'm fairly new myself. I've been, as you say, copying down anything relevant from the bulletin board and trying to figure things out from there. In essence, I believe we would both be on more or less the same page as far as basic data and understanding goes." Which was good since working with someone behind his experience would probably waste a certain amount of time and effort.

He looked down at the notes again, somewhat frustrated with himself. He probably could have gotten more done if he had started earlier... "This was my first attempt at trying to get more information from the... patient body as a whole. I'd guess about a third of the population responded. It would be nice to work with a number that represented the majority, but it will have to do. I've yet to process the entirety of the survey data, so anything I say regarding it will be inconclusive until everything's been looked over. ...But there are some noticeable patterns thus far."

Klavier paused at the name drop. Miles Edgeworth. Now there was a name he hadn't expected to come up in this conversation. Had she been paying attention, she'd doubtlessly have seen a look of recognition at the name. "I am. That is to say, we've spoken before." He paused for a moment in obvious consideration. "...I agree. He would probably be greatly interested in this information. It probably wouldn't hurt to have a third perspective to work with either. The more theories we can gather, the more accurate the result may be."

Heh. And the opportunity may prove interesting.

[trapdetected]

"You have a point." With a disappointed frown, Naoto crossed her arms. "It gets to a certain point until information becomes redundant, and nothing more beyond the basics can be obtained. When it comes to the bigger things... We can only get as much as everyone else is willing to share. One would think with the advantage of remaining anonymous on the board would encourage those would valuable information to speak up; they know as much would be extremely vital for everyone, especially those who can use it to further our chances of success."

Yet, it didn't. It was true that no matter where you went, people hid all sorts of things that could otherwise be used for the greater good; it was one fact of life during investigations. Naoto had to remind herself of that, no matter how much she wondered why anyone would do so here and now.

"A shame so little were willing to contribute," Naoto thought aloud, and she felt that were true. "Perhaps a good portion of them are convinced to not trust many others around. But as you said, we have no other choice but to make do what with we're given." Curiously, she glanced back down at the notes again before looking up at Klavier. "Do you mind sharing what ideas you've come across so far?"

The recognition? A hint of it of it was there; the marginally surprised pause was indication enough. "Then that will make this even easier," Naoto said. "If possible, I would like to request that he take a look at this as well. I hardly think it will hurt to do so if nothing comes out of it at all."

[rocksthecourt]

"I assumed that, too. But it seems people are even more frugal with their information here than in normal cases," he said, levelly. In reality, that fact was extremely irritating. They should all be doing everything in their power to get out of here and figure out what was going on. But people seemed to show little to not interest in following logic. All they wanted was to engage in their selfish, narrow-minded agendas. "...You may actually want to exercise caution in that respect, Fräulein. There are many violent people here, and it seems people get a bit too antagonistic to those trying to gather information."

Personally, he'd been relieved to find someone like Lelouch here, trying to organize things for the greater good. It was astonishing how many people demonstrated such aggressive opposition to his efforts. "I somewhat suspect the attitude is due to someone tricking the patients at some point before our arrival. Perhaps they've simply learned it's better not to trust others." Pity, since this would be so much easier with a little more faith.

With regards to the survey, he flipped to the second page of notes and held it closer to Naoto so it was hovering between both, an easier spot for both to read from. "As far as things the patient body have in common... There is a surprising number of students here. As far as I have seen, it looks like every single student is from Japan. In fact, most people here seem to be from either Japan, America... or places I have never heard of. That being, places that don't exist as far as I'm aware." He hated discussing this but... "You've no doubt heard the theory of there being multiple worlds, dimensions, and time paradoxes here, ja? I'd honestly dismissed the idea until this survey. But there were names that frequently showed up, like this Auldrant. With several names matching up, it's difficult to throw away the idea anymore."

"Aside from students, most people have some kind of connection to government facilities: schools, police departments, law firms, military, sea ports... In fact, I recall there being a few people unrelated to these facilities who happened to be in or near one when they were taken." This was a somewhat disturbing thought since one would think such places and occupations would be the safest. "It's difficult to think there isn't a connection to these organizations and the fact that these people are targeted. But I find it hard to believe this is an organization within the government itself. Why target their own people? If anything, I would think a government organization would aim for people no one would notice have gone missing."

He ran a finger over on of the other columns, trying to recall what he had noticed thus far on that subject. "...A surprising number of people were taken while en route to a destination or were otherwise away from their home. In these cases, I would almost assume that these targets were... spontaneous. Unplanned, but taken anyway due to something triggering interest. Of those taken from their homes, most were abducted in the middle of the night as they slept. Which, on the contrary, would indicate they had been specifically selected. I've yet to notice any significant similarities within these two categories. However, if we're to consider these two conditions, it would seem most people were taken spur of the moment. In other words, something specific must have triggered the abduction. I think a large key to understanding Herr Doktor's mode of thinking revolves around figuring out just what triggers his interest in a target. Difficult given the fact that he seems fond of changing his persona at a moment's notice over the PA."

[rocksthecourt]

He exhaled through his nose as though such a thought was frustrating. "As insane as this entire set up is, I don't think I can truely believe Herr Doktor is mentally ill. He is fully aware of what he is doing. Frighteningly so. I have to wonder why it is he chooses to change his behavior between night and day. What reason could he possibly have to hide his true nature?" It made one wonder... Which side of him was really the act? Or were both false faces, and he was something else entirely?

"Another thing that makes this difficult... is the inability to gauge what targets he's focused on first." Klavier hesitated a moment before pointing this out. It was a grim truth, but one that had to be said. "...There is no one who has been here much more than a month. Most of the people have been here on an average of one to two weeks. Far too many have been here less. With how smoothly this operation is being run, I would say they must have been doing this for at least a year. In that case judging locations and age groups is little more than a waste of time."

Serial murderers tended to start out by killing those within their 'comfort zone.' An age group they knew could easily overpower, a location nearby, a method often considered and easily accessible. It was only after a killer had grown accustomed to such things that they began to... branch out. Thus knowing what targets came first as well as their similarities was often key to understanding the one behind it. But this far into the game, that trail was long cold.

"I'm also beginning to wonder... if perhaps Herr Doktor is not the one actually choosing what patients come in. The geographical scope is a bit too randomized at times. It may be deliberately so, but with how specific some of the targets seem, I find that difficult to believe."

He turned his attention away from the book and onto Naoto. It was a lot to take in at once, perhaps, for a normal person. But one used to police briefings and such usually had to listen to over an hour of case explanation and analysis. Such a general summary should have been simple in comparison. Still, he was curious as to her thoughts regarding all this so far.

[trapdetected]

"Perhaps so," Naoto said nonchalantly. "Though I would prefer not to hold back if doing so means not getting what we need. I am not one to pass up on the opportunity when given to me." Was it a risk she'd have to take? Maybe so, but simply being here in itself was nothing but a bunch of risks, and she was willing to take those extra steps if they were required. And with that whole manipulation deal that had been happening previously, with some luck they could regain some trust (it would be pushing it to say all; Naoto had a good enough idea about how peoples' minds worked), alleviating a little bit of their struggles. Enough to keep it from being a huge obstacle anymore, she hoped. "Ah, yes... if I remember correctly, it was someone named Mello doing so. With his disappearance, we'll have to try to keep his actions from having a lasting impact on those who remember him. They cannot truly believe every person collecting information like we are is doing so for the same reasons he was."

Tch. Naoto hated to think he got away with his actions so easily, too. He did his thing, and then Landel simply let him go, back to wherever he came from initially? His actions needed to be undone, somehow.

Enough of that, she told herself. There was no use dwelling on the past, on what had been done. There was only now, only the notebook set between the both of them for her to get a look at. The results that Klavier explained were, as he said, surprising; even though she could easily be categorized under a 'student from Japan'-- as did her roommate, as well, proving she wasn't the only one from the start-- Naoto wasn't quite expecting so many to. As for America, well, that wouldn't have been anything shocking, as it was claimed that the institute was in the same country anyway. Knowing this, of course the people within would be from there... but, since location probably wouldn't have mattered no matter what place Landel picked, it was a moot point.

"Yes, I am aware of the alternate realities, and the like," Naoto answered with a short nod; besides, she already had some experience with it before finding herself here. Just the complexity of others' experiences is what surprised her, but if it could happen in one place, varying degrees of it could happen elsewhere. Explaining what she knew was out of the question for now, however; unless it became relevant to what they were discussing, it would only deter them off topic, and it wasn't exactly something she wanted to keep on explaining, especially when she still found the situation to be kind of strange herself. "I've already met a man who seems to have come from one of these other worlds, as well. He was unfamiliar with any place I mentioned, and he gave the impression some of our customs were odd." She never did catch where exactly he came from, though... Maybe this Auldrant place that was mentioned. "As for our own countries here on Earth, while there is a possibility this institute is ran by some sort of government organization," which, if Klavier had said aloud the very thought was disturbing, Naoto would be inclined to agree; it was scary to think officials within a country would decide to run this rather than a man gone mad with some sort of unlimited power alone. "we could also determine that, with them unaware somehow, members of government related occupations are being targeted for a currently unknown reason. Which brings me to my next point."

With a hand on her chin, mulling as she spoke, Naoto continued on; "As I said, I spoke with Edgeworth-san earlier, and that was another topic that came up during our discussion-- how we have been selected. I'm unsure as to how long it takes to make their decision, but it could be anywhere from a while to, as you said, impressively quickly. However, when it all comes down to it, I believe you could be on the right path... But as it stands right now, in our current condition, we won't be able to know why until the doctor himself reveals so. I'm afraid there isn't too much more to say beyond what has been already." Unfortunate, though she knew she was going to have to get used to all these walls they kept running into.

[trapdetected]

"Certainly not," she agreed on his next point. "This was not set up by simply anyone; he is... I dislike to compliment the man, but he must wield an amazing amount of intelligence if he is capable of this. Anyone who had less would have slipped ages ago, and I'm impressed this has worked at all. Only someone with a rare kind of skill could follow through with such a plan." As for why they would use it for this... well, definitely, that was what they've been trying to figure out this whole time. "It's easy to guess why he would. For instance, the staff may be completely unaware of the institute's true nature, much like the citizens of the nearby place called Doyleton do. I've been told the doctors for these therapy sessions do not have extensive information on a patient, not like the ones for the M-U experiments that occur at night do. The latter, apparently, know everything about our entire lives, including our best-kept secrets; nothing, to them, is unknown." And despite sounding composed as she talked, that still bothered her greatly. "With that, it is clear Landel has accomplices, however they are only a small handful within an entire staff that are needed in order to keep the facility running. It's an awfully good disguise to cover up whatever it is he is actually hiding.

"So I wouldn't say Landel is the only one choosing who comes in. If patients come in every few days, then there are the numbers to consider. It's not just a small handful who come in every once in a while, but a large batch of them. Do you think it's plausible for him to be able to consider that many within a short amount of time constantly?" Somehow, Naoto wouldn't have been shocked to hear that he could have been, although right then she would have preferred to hang on to any amount of probability they could find. "It must be a group who aids with this, however, ultimately it is likely Landel is giving them instructions and guidelines as to what he wishes to find. With so many within the small amount of time on both arrival and departure, that's the theory I would like to place my confidence in."

[rocksthecourt]

Evidently, Klavier had missed something. Yesterday, he had seen that this Mello made a habit of distributing information over the board, yes, but he hadn't known there was anything foul going on beyond that. He had been under the impression this was a veteran simply trying to help out. If there was truth behind what Naoto was implicating, that would greatly explain the distrust circulating throughout the institute. Perfect. One more obstacle to add to the growing list.

He listened quietly as she offered her opinions on what he had said thus far. Seems she'd already been convinced of the multiple world theory herself, which only further grounded the idea. Frankly, he still found the idea idiotic, but with this much support, he had no choice but to operate as though it were true. Ironically, what impressed him most was the fact that she very easily and levelly could admit there were things that were simply impossible to discover for the time being and that there was no point in lingering over such matters.

That was it. As soon as he got back, he was requesting the police recruiters start scouting high schools.

As noteworthy as her comments were, his interest noticeably peeked at the mentioning of the staff and the M-U experiments. "I'd very much think that's the case. The nurse that primarily serves as my escort doesn't seem at all aware of anything going on. If she and the rest of the staff are simply acting, I would have to congratulate them all. ...I have heard a certain amount regarding the experiments, but I was unaware of that little detail."

He paused in consideration. "Regarding what these tormentors know. Would this be things someone simply buried in their past or does this include... personal secrets?" For the first time during the discussion, the pleasant demeanor wavered for a moment. "With how much people talk about these M-U experiments, it seems to be a frequent occurrence. But if these were really spontaneous targets, then it would be impossible to gather such personal information on them, would it not? Unless they're only experimenting on those they studied far beforehand." That meant those taken for experiments were the most interesting subjects, the ones Herr Doktor paid special attention to...

He nodded in agreement to her next point as well. "If these groups are really that large, then it would indeed be difficult for him to be choosing every single one." In fact, he should have figured the incoming groups were large, judging by how quickly patients seemed to disappear... "A small group of accomplices among the staff. That would make sense. If it was only the doctor, it would be impossible for the entire staff to go unaware. With the most important members privy to what's going on, they'd be able to control what the nurses and a large number of doctors see and don't see." His smile pulled into a small smirk. "And to everyone else, we're simply out of our minds anyway."

"It does make me wonder, though. One man acting out on his impulses and agendas is an entirely different matter from actually convincing others to participate with you. It makes me wonder... exactly what he's told these associates of his." If the classic case of Charles Manson was proof of anything, it was that even madmen could acquire followers. Often serial killers were extremely charismatic; clever and manipulative. A dangerous combination.

[trapdetected]

"I assume both apply," Naoto answered, folding her hands together in her lap. "From what I've gathered from those with personal experience, even their best guarded secrets is treated like nothing but common knowledge to the doctors that perform the experiments. This means they know everything, as if we're an open book for them." If Klavier didn't know this beforehand, she had a feeling he wasn't going to like hearing this now-- no one would. "They are common indeed; every other night, in fact. I doubt the ones they target for these specific performances were ones spontaneously taken, as well. It would be difficult, even if they had a way to do so here, but I think it would be far more troublesome to do so in an environment that is not one's own. As for the ones that were taken on a whim..." Naoto had to pause for a moment, putting together another theory in her head. "There could be other 'uses' for them, whatever they may be."

Then she made a nod of her own. "Yes, precisely. That's exactly the kind of set-up that would work best in this situation. It's unknown whether any of them ever show their faces in the crowd, but if they do, it will be difficult to pinpoint them as they would act like any other oblivious staff member that works here. However, even if we could, I wonder if we would be able to do anything about them; it's already been stated on the bulletin that the one time Landel showed himself, any who attempted to face him were quickly thwarted.

"And I, too, wonder that as well." Naoto glanced up, scanning her eyes across the room as if she were looking for anyone suspicious, anyone who might have stood out from the crowd... of course, there was no one. Every staff member blended in perfectly. "If there is one thing I wish to know, it is why."

[rocksthecourt]

Even their best guarded secrets? How was that possible? Without direct contact with the target, even the best detective could only get so much information on a person. Just how long were they researching people before they took them? He wondered... Did that mean they knew about Kristoph? If they took him, they must obviously knew of his crime, but did they also know why...

Klavier frowned and shook his head, as though trying to get his mind back on focus. "I assumed it was done frequently but... not every other day. Likely, they aren't just taking one or two people either." There was a disturbing thought. "You are right, however. The rest likely fall into a bracket of interest all their own."

"It's looking like the categories we should be focused on would be those who seem to be taken on whim and those who were obviously planned. If we can find common factors among those two, maybe we can better pinpoint what it is Herr Doktor is interested in." It seemed like a lot to consider for a moot point. The focus was supposed to be on classifying the doctor, not figuring out his motives. But knowing what piqued his interest was a good step in understanding how it was he thought. "Perhaps it would be best if I made copies of the data for you to look over as well as a list of what similarities I've been able to notice. ...I can have them ready by tomorrow, if you so wish."

That was another very interesting point: The one time the man showed his face. "That entire incident seems extremely peculiar. If the bulletin board is to be believed, those who attempted to approach him began to feel fatigued for no reason. It was enough to slow them down for the staff to subdue. As much as I'm interested in how such a thing would be possible... I'm more interested in what exactly happened during this public exposure. Anything he might have said or done, noticeable gestures or body language... anything would be helpful." He exhaled through his nose. "It's simply a matter of finding someone willing to talk about it."

[trapdetected]

"I do not know how many they take," Naoto admitted. "Yet I would have to think the same. Their findings, whatever they may be, would go far too slowly if we consider the numbers and, as we just discussed, how often our numbers fluctuate."

She took one last peek at Klavier's notebook before she deemed herself finished with them for the time being. "Yes, if you could, I would appreciate it. If I am to help too, it would be necessary that I have such information on hand. Once I do, I'll--"

"Jaden?" Suddenly, an unexpected third voice chimed in, startling Naoto on the spot. It took her a moment to realized it was herself being referred to by a nurse; the name was still an unfamiliar one. "I'm sorry to disrupt you, but the day is just about over."

"Ah," disappointingly, Naoto darted her eyes between Klavier and the nurse before slipping a sigh of her own. "... Gavin-san, we'll have to further discuss this at a later time."

[rocksthecourt]

When Klavier's attention snapped up to Naoto's nurse (had she heard anything?), he saw his own nurse making her way over. She stopped as soon as they made eye contact, placing her hands on her hips expectantly as though waiting to see if 'David' would come of his own accord or if she had to walk the rest of the way to fetch him.

"So it seems," he said quietly, as though mindful of the extra set of ears. He stood up from his seat. "Thank you for the pleasant talk. Next time then."

Details weren't necessary in front of the nurses, but he nodded his head in a manner closer to confirmation than farewell. He would be sure to make her a good copy of the data and his notes. Naoto had also suggested getting Edgeworth's opinion on this, which admittedly may prove interesting as well.

He offered a last small her way before turning toward her nurse. By tomorrow, they'd surely be ready to continue.